Cover from the Sky
by Quill-lady
Summary: Dean and Castiel are separated, this is how they find each other again and realise how much they mean to each other. First Destiel multi-chapter fic so please be kind, I don't own supernatural I wish I did, any feedback will be appreciated and will hopefully inspire me to do more... title and lyrics are from Cover from the sky by Deacon Blue.
1. Chapter 1

Dean Winchester is known for not being the brightest mind in the world. Not to say that Dean is dumb, Dean is a smart guy, clever even. But when it comes to it sometimes Dean just doesn't think, he just does. And that's what makes Dean just who he is; it's stitched into the fabric of who he is, the fabric of his soul.

So he doesn't really think anything of throwing himself between Castiel and an angel blade that was being wielded by Naomi, some psycho bitch who in his opinion had it coming when she decided to mess with Castiel's free will and his mind. Because nobody got away with messing with Cas, not if he had anything to do with it. But in that moment of not thinking, batting away the sword like it was a needle, he probably didn't see the sheer white force of energy Naomi decided to then unleash.

And Dean Winchester really didn't think when everything decided to go white and he didn't think then because he was in pain and he doesn't get the chance to think, he just passes out.

_When our home becomes a cover from the sky  
Well my eyes have seen the dust and then the ashes  
And the lowland and white sky of your home  
And the rain that washed mascara from my lashes  
And nothing gave us cover from the sky  
When you`re gone I notice all your tiny touches  
And it`s then that I see its then that I know why  
If the days become the walls you never wanted  
Our years will give us cover from the sky_

Dean ignored the ache in his bones from lying on the floor, because currently he was more bemused by the fact that he hadn't woken up in a hospital bed or to the awful lights they have in the wards, when he stares directly up, he sees a chandelier. And there is no way hospitals have gone that classy, he looked around and recognised the room from when back in the days when the angels hijacked him ready for Michael and he lets out a groan, "Am I dead?" he groaned out sitting up and rubbing his head.

"Not exactly," a voice replied making him look up to see Naomi sitting on a chair opposite him, immediately Dean jumped up, looking for weapons that he did not have, instead fixing a glare of hatred at the angel as if it was enough to kill her, "Where am I?" he demanded then remembered the white light, the angel blade and him getting in front of Cas.

_Cas!_

"Where's Cas?" Dean demanded, "Where he is? Dammit?"

Naomi eyes flare with malice, "He is far away, I sent him far away, he disobeyed simple orders, I told him to keep out of heaven apart from when I met him. But he couldn't help himself, the deluded fool and his free will. So he is being punished, I have locked him far away…far away from the thing that destroyed him."

Dean tried to ignore the guilt that twisted his stomach, far away, what the hell did that even mean? What was this place? "Listen, you don't want him in heaven, then let him come to earth, let us have him, just give him back," Dean pleaded, "I won't let him come back to heaven, I promise."

The room rang out with a tinny laugh, cackling from Naomi's lips, "No, I won't give him back to you, he deserves to be punished," she paused looking at the distress, "And he is being punished…"

"You bitch" Dean said starting forward, "I don't know what game you are playing but you lay one finger on him, I swear to God…" he trailed off as she tilted her head at him, watching him like a bird of prey would watch a mouse, toying with its food, "Just give him back," Dean said gritting his teeth.

"No," Naomi replied, she pointed to a door, "If you want him back, why don't you go get him?"

Confused Dean looked to the door that had appeared in the room, when he looked back to Naomi, she was gone, "Son of a bitch."

Dean wasn't sure what to think, he didn't even know where he was, but he figured he was in Heaven or some sick alternate reality, who knew what powers Naomi could have, could be a trick like Gabriel once would have pulled, twisting all realities in to this. He walked past a table that had a sword and a gun on and he pulled them on, just what the hell was he meant to do? How was he meant to find Cas? He had to find him, and Sam?

Where were they? That massive white light thing must have sent them into this world or whatever it was. He walked to the door and opened it, not quite sure whether to believe what he could see, countryside, with darkened skies that threatened thunder and lightning, it was almost like a fairy-tale land, he half expected to see some Disney villain to run by, but it was dark, it was dark and threatening . "Ok so clearly we are not in Kansas anymore," Dean said something to himself, still not crossing over the threshold. Clearly that massive white thing from Naomi had sent them here, but where was Sam and Cas in all this?

He then remembered Naomi's words, that she had sent Cas far away, far away and that he was being punished and he felt ice grip his heart, punished and Naomi had implied it was because of Dean that he was being punished. In a twisted way he could see their logic, he always remembered Hester's words, _The very touch of you corrupts. When Castiel first laid a hand on you in Hell, he was lost, _rang in Dean's mind over and over again, and was it because of him, because of what he did in Hell, that he corrupted an angel of the lord. That Castiel was lost because of Dean.

But right now Castiel was being punished, being hurt and that was something that Dean couldn't handle, Cas had managed to survive leviathan's, being a god, the apocalypse, he had managed to survive Purgatory, but right now he could be in pain and Dean wasn't going to let him be lost again. Naomi the bitch said go find him and Dean smirked, she was like all the evil bitches out there, underestimating him because in his gut, that might be crawling in guilt and self-hatred, he knew one thing as he walked through the door.

He was going to get Cas back.

Hospitals smell of disease and death, no matter how much bleach and how clean you try and keep them, they always smell of death and disease. Of urine, of blood, of sweat the stench of those who are ill, those who are sick and dying and you might be a patient that spends a long time in hospital, a visitor or a doctor, but you never gets used to the smell.

No matter how many times they get injured, Sam Winchester never gets used to that smell; he never gets used to smell or bodies getting weaker, getting closer to death or closer to life. He sipped his coffee and ignored the bile that threatened to bring it back up as made s his way back to room c291184, trying to keep his curious eyes from the various sad stories in the rooms he passed to get there.

As he reached the door he saw Cas had not moved from his vigil and he let the sigh out that had been trapped in his lungs since he got out of the lift. He placed another coffee in front of Cas and sat down on the opposite side of the bed, watching the angel.

Castiel was listening to a simple beeping noise, he had concentrated on this computerised noise since they got here, it's the only thing that matters right now this metallic little beep that could be the Pachelbel's Canon in D Major for all he cares, because it's the most beautiful thing he has ever heard.

And at the same time the most terrifying.

He watched the screen of the machine that the beep belongs to as if he needs to remind himself of the situation, it doesn't change, he heard the machine that holds the oxygen breathing life in to Dean Winchester, keeping him alive on his hospital bed.

"Cas," Sam started softly, "Look you should get some rest, there has been no change, even if you sleep-"

"No," Castiel said firmly looking to the younger Winchester, "I won't, I can't not when Dean is like this, not when it's my fault that he is like this.."

"It's not your fault, Dean ran in the way to protect you, nobody knew what Naomi was going to do…whatever it was," Sam replied, sipping his coffee and looked to his brother on the bed.

The thing was Dean looked completely normal; there was not a mark on him, he looked like he was sleeping. Except he wasn't, he was in a coma, with some sort of brain damage but the doctors could not tell how serious, not until the swelling had gone down.

Castiel could not heal him either, because that massive power of light had been Naomi and a spell that had ripped most of Castiel's grace from him and because Dean was in front of him when Naomi did said spell, was the reason why Dean was in a hospital bed.

The time they needed Castiel to heal Dean, was the one time he could not.

Castiel looked back from Sam to Dean; he just wanted those green eyes to open, to make a sarcastic remark about he felt, turning it in to a joke. But he didn't instead the machine that told them his heart was beating continued its musical beat, the oxygen kept going through the tube in his mouth to his lungs.

And Castiel was helpless, he couldn't change it, all he could do was watch. He was still an angel, with a small portion of grace, but no powers, he couldn't help Dean and he felt his heart seize at that knowledge.

Castiel remembered before he could feel and for one second he wished he didn't have to feel, did not have to feel the guilt that his grace had done this Dean, his grace and Naomi who had taken it from him as punishment. Castiel wasn't sure what this made him, whether it made him human, he was not sure whether he would mind being a human, and he could then stay with Sam and Dean. But would Dean be here, he looked at the man on the bed in front of him, what was a human life if Dean wasn't there?

No matter what happened, Castiel always could protect Dean, no matter what and yet now he couldn't what did that make Castiel?

He looked at that face that showed no emotion, willed those green eyes to open, willed those lips to take in his own air, because Castiel wanted Dean back.

He wanted Dean back.


	2. Chapter 2

It felt like it had been hours since he had left that green room, but the scenery to Dean never changed, it was bleak and dark, it was like Purgatory but more fantastical, trees that seemed to breathe malice, their branches encroaching his space, desperate to scratch his skin and make it bleed.

The sky was dark was dark grey and angry, but no rain fell, only the constant rumbling of thunder and the flash of lightening that crackled through the air. Dean was pretty sure he had no idea where he was going, Castiel could be anywhere but he used his gut to lead his direction and he had always relied on that gut instinct so he wasn't going to stop now. So he kept going, letting the tree branches that felt like knives catch at his clothing, letting them rip his clothes because he wasn't going to give up.

He had lost Cas so many god damn times, he couldn't give up on him now, because Cas had done so much for him, he had given up so much and they had just got back from Purgatory to discover that Naomi was using him and wiping his memory. The thought of that made Dean sick with anger, mentally adding her to the list of son of a bitch evil things that he wanted to gank.

But there was something more, the fact that she had hurt Cas, something deep inside of him ached because of that fact, knowing he was now locked up somewhere being hurt, just made him ache all over, like it wasn't right. It wasn't right Cas not being by his side and that thought unnerved him slightly because he wasn't comfortable identifying where that feeling was coming from.

Perhaps it was that profound bond, he supposed he did have a profound bond with him but he knew it was deep down, deep down in his heart that seized up knowing that Cas wasn't beside him and he was sick of it, he was sick of not having Cas beside him, but he wasn't sure what this meant.

Dean was so entranced by his thoughts that he didn't see the beast until it was upon him.

It was a sick twist of fate that Sam had finally decided to go and check in a motel and Castiel had finally decided to rest his eyes and let sleep take him, in the chair beside Dean's bed when Dean crashed. It was the alarms of the machines keeping him alive, screeching loudly, blaring that some calamity was happening that ripped Castiel from his rest.

His eyes flew open as he saw that Dean thrashing on the bed, he was having some sort of fit and Castiel felt his heart go into his throat as doctors and nurses fly into the room, "Dean," he shouted hoarsely, trying to grab for his hand but the nurses tried to usher him from the room, "No!" he shouted, he wasn't going to be separated from Dean, "No, Dean, please no no no…"

Castiel watched horrified as Dean thrashed on the bed, the machines beside him screaming loudly, the doctors placing panels on his chest as the machine that Cas knew monitored Dean's heartbeat went to a flat line. Castiel shook his head, it could not happen like this, he looked up to the ceiling as if he could rage against his father who had turned away from him, the father who had ordered him to find this man, he couldn't rip him away now. What sort of father would do that?

The nurses could only get Castiel to the doorway, he refused to go any further than the doorway, despite the threats of security being called, he pointedly refused to leave from the doorway, and his eyes never leaving Dean's face as the panels shocked his body, the medical team fighting to get him back. "Dean, please fight, please fight," he whispered hoarsely, "Fight for me."

Dean didn't know what the hell this beast was, but already it had the upper hand by knocking him to the ground, he knew it was big, it was black and it was like a wolf. But he had never seen a wolf like this one; this one had piercing red eyes and teeth that could rip him apart like he was a juicy steak. Dean and the beast rolled on the ground and Dean grunted, the wind being knocked from him, he wasn't quick enough as the wolf beast slashed its claws against Dean's shoulder. "Son of a bitch," Dean yelled managing to get a kick at the beast and managed to roll away; he tried to reach for his gun but noticed it was on the ground beside the beast.

Dean swore, as he got a better look at the beast in front of him, seeing was believing he supposed, because this was like out of some fantasy film, he could see the spine sticking out of its skin, it's claws were clogged with blood. Its eyes were so red, like he could see the fires of hell in them and he watched as the beast prowled, waiting to pounce on Dean, "Dude," he growled, raising the sword in defence in front of him, "You are fugly."

What the hell was he meant to do with this sword he thought, it wasn't like he had something like this in the boot of the impala. Dean supposed he should use the pointy end to stab things, he decided to swing it as the beast got closer to him and it growled edging back, how was he meant to kill this thing without his gun. Ok he needed to breath and just think, he had killed plenty of nasty sons of bitches in the real world. The beast pounced and Dean screamed angrily and swung the sword down on its back and he heard the wolf yelp in agony, Dean spun around, quickly raising the sword again in front of him.

This beast was just another thing keeping him from Cas and as if by thinking about him, he could swear he could hear Cas, he could hear his voice, hoarse and almost broken and he felt his gut sink but he heart the words clearly.

_Fight for me._

It was enough incentive as the beast pounced, jumping on Dean he raised his sword just in time as the beast and Dean rolled on the floor. Dean yelled angrily as the beast collapsed on top of him, the sword, embedded in its chest. Dean put of his strength of rolling the beast off him as it groaned, its breaths laboured and muscles shuddered in spasms as it died.

Dean lay on the ground, watching the dark swirling skies above him, breathing heavily, well he had killed the bastard thing, but he was still no closer to Cas, wherever he was, he wiped his palm over his face, "Alright you feathery ass, I am fighting for you….now where the hell are you?"

It took nearly an hour to get Dean back to stable, Sam arrived by then and Castiel now sat by the bed, his eyes still never leaving Dean's face as the machines bleeped a calmer melody. Castiel had not really paid much attention to the doctors when they had said that Dean had a massive seizure and they would not know the damage till the swelling had gone down. He could hear Sam asking the questions outside the room, edging around the survival rate question, Castiel could hear the younger Winchester's voice break.

Castiel felt such guilt, if it had not been for him, none of this would have happened, it was his grace that did this. He had not really been much of a friend for Dean as Naomi had controlled him, even if he wasn't in control of his actions, he felt like he had let down his friends trust in him. Perhaps in a way that was what Naomi wanted, to rip away the hunter from Castiel, punishment from God was to be resurrected again and again, punishment from Naomi, after everything she had done was to live without Dean.

And he just could not imagine a world like that, so instead he focused his energy in watching Dean, like he had so many times before as he slept, despite the fact he knew the hunter did not like him doing so. But he willed the hunter to wake up, to return to his brother, to return to him.

"Cas," Sam said from the doorway, he had given up trying to get Cas to rest, the angel swore he wouldn't close his eyes or leave the room after the last time he had tried to rest, Dean had so nearly been taken from them, Castiel looked to the younger Winchester noticing that the hunters eyes were red, "The nurses want me to sign some forms regarding Dean's insurance, do you want a coffee and muffin?"

Castiel bit back the refusal when he saw how upset Sam was, he nodded, smiling grimly, he did after all have to eat now, his stomach has started grumbling hours ago and if he was going to stay awake with Dean he would need the coffee, "Yes please Sam, do you need me to do anything?" he asked softly, because he knew Dean would want him to look after Sammy.

Sam shook his head, "I will be back as soon as I signed the forms and got some coffee," Cas could see the relief in Sam's eyes as he was being allowed to do something, he couldn't make his brother magically better, but he could do this, he could get coffee, he could sign forms, he could be there for Cas and in return Cas could be there for both Dean and Sam.

Castiel turned back to Dean, watching the hunters chest rise and fall with the oxygen pumping through his lungs, he had heard the doctors say that he was in a coma, but that Dean would be able to hear what he could say and Castiel took courage from that. He opened his mouth to speak, but suddenly he heard wings flutter behind him and he felt his spine stiffen and he was out of seat, placing himself in front of the angelic threat and Dean.

A man in a suit stood, "Ambriel," Castiel growled, letting his angel sword drop down, "What are you doing here?"

"Brother, I mean no harm," Ambriel replied calmly raising his palms in defence.

"If you mean no harm, then heal him," Castiel replied his voice hoarse as he pointed to Dean, "Heal him now…"

"I cannot," Ambriel replied firmly, "Those are not my orders."

Castiel felt anger burn through him, then suddenly stiffen, "What are you orders?"

Ambriel sighed, "I have only come to tell you that some of your brothers and sisters grieve with you, that Naomi will not stop till she has all of your grace."

"She has my grace," Castiel replied, feeling so human, so inadequate next to his brother, he should be able to feel him, he should be able to sense his brother and yet he didn't, all he sensed is despair at losing his grace, at not being able to heal Dean and fear from this angelic presence who could smite him or the man in the bed beside him without a second look.

"There is a small part of left in you," Ambriel said softly, "And the part or your grace that is in Dean."

"She cannot have it," Castiel snarled, raising the angel sword, "I swear I will kill anyone who tries to take it, they can have whatever is left in me but not Dean's that part cannot be taken…he would. He would not…"

"He would not survive without it, brother please, I mean no harm, and I only mean to warn you, I probably have done enough to be watched by Naomi, but protect yourselves as best as you can, here are sigils that can prevent Naomi from coming here." Ambriel said softly, handing a piece of paper towards Castiel.

Castiel narrowed his eyes, he felt like he could trust Ambriel, they had been close at one time, but part of his gut, his grumbling gut told him not to trust him, he looked back to Dean, he had to protect Dean at all costs, now he knew Naomi was after the grace that he had left and the grace that he had used to piece Dean back together, the grace that was holding his soul together.

Ambriel moved to the bottom of Dean's bed, he scanned the human, no emotion showing on his face, Ambriel did not understand the bond his brother had with this human but he scanned the body on the bed "He is fighting it Castiel, he is fighting it so very hard, I can feel him, he can hear you, he is looking for you as much as you are looking for him."

Castiel's blue eyes widened as he looked down at Dean, Ambriel continued "Castiel his mind is fighting in turmoil, it is his mind that keeps him trapped and the more he fights… I do not know if his body can hand the fight he will have on his hands, he is looking for your grace in him…it was unprecedented when you remade his soul using your grace but at the same time it could be the key to his survival."

Castiel felt so helpless, not only was Dean ill, it sounded like he was trapped in his own mind, he could shout and scream at him but that would not wake him up, "What can I do?"

"Stay with him, talk to him, the remaining part of your grace will strengthen the part of his, keep talking felt so cool to the touch, he rubbed his thumb over Dean's knuckles, "Dean Keep fighting wherever you are and I will keep fighting here, just don't give up. I am not leaving you; I am not giving up on you. Just keep fighting."to him, stay with him, that is all I can suggest, because it is so unprecedented I cannot say what will happen to him." Ambriel explained, "I have stayed too long, I must go."

Castiel did not have a chance to bid farewell, with a flutter of wings Ambriel was gone, Castiel looked at the piece of paper with the sigils on, he would get Sam onto it when he returned, he did not know if he felt better after Ambriel's visit or not, knowing now he would probably live the rest of his life as a human did not really matter. All that mattered was Dean.

He might not be an angel, but he could protect his grace that was in Dean, he would fight tooth and nail to protect Dean, because Dean was going to survive. Remembering Ambriel's advice he sat on the bed beside Dean, taking his hand which he rubbed his thumb over gently over Dean's skin, ignoring the lower body temperature, "Dean Keep fighting," Castiel whispered, "Please, I am staying here, I am not leaving you, I am fighting for you, I won't let anyone hurt you, but you have to fight, please, keep fighting, fight for me."


End file.
